No mandatory assemblies. No guest speakers or dedicated lesson plans. Most teachers in Colorado won't teach any special curriculum today, the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.

"We don't make a big deal of it in our schools," says Dorsee Johnson- Tucker of Lakewood High School. "I teach world history, and I don't do things super-special on 9/11."

For those students too young to have fully experienced 9/11, its tale is more likely to arrive thematically these days, merged with stories of other atrocities.

Still important, still tragic, but in context.

For Johnson-Tucker, that means finding a place during ongoing discussions of a long line of historical conflicts.

Discuss the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. What should the U.S. be doing now?

"Like when we're talking about the massive bombing raids on Dresden and London during World War II, we talk about how that impacted the citizenry versus that one day of that one event for the United States," Johnson-Tucker says. "For Europeans, seeing their property destroyed happened more than once, so they have a slightly different view of how to protect themselves."

Impromptu lessons arise

Marc Johnson, who teaches a contemporary-issues class at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, finds impromptu lessons arise naturally. The class, which reads Newsweek, just finished the magazine's special report "Into Thin Air," about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

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"The article inspired much historical discussion, including a revisiting of the 9/11 tragedy and an examination of how the U.S. government responded, and how that response has evolved over time," says Johnson, coordinator of the social-studies department. "It even led to a look at events leading up to 9/11, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the American support of the mujahedeen and the implications of that endeavor."

There is no standard national curriculum for teaching 9/11. Colorado has no state mandate, leaving the decision up to individual school districts.

"A lot of schools will have some announcement by administrators or broadcast by students, especially middle schools and high schools, recognizing this day," says Chris Elnicki, president of the Colorado Council for the Social Studies. "If teachers feel a direct connection to 9/11 with the curriculum they're teaching, they're more likely going to do something that day."

Teaching 9/11 can be tough, given the firestorm that hit soon after the tragedy, as private companies developed early curriculum recommendations.

Some argued there wasn't enough teaching about civil liberties. Others complained about a lack of lessons on patriotism.

A political football in school

The subject remains a political football. As recently as the 2006 gubernatorial campaign in Arizona, candidate Len Munsil attacked incumbent Janet Napolitano over the "politically correct 9/11 curriculum for our schools."

The classroom segment for seventh-graders, he argued, indoctrinated schoolchildren in "tolerance for terrorism."

A vast range of educational approaches is reported in a new study called "9/11 and Terrorism: 'The Ultimate Teachable Moment' in Textbooks and Supplemental Curricula," which appears in this month's Social Education, the flagship journal for America's social-studies teachers.

A debate continues over whether 9/11 should be taught with multiple and competing perspectives - or as a question with a right answer.

"Some people and organizations felt like 9/11 needed to be presented in a way that didn't invite any controversy," says co-author Diana Hess, a professor at the University of Wisconsin.

Some discoveries startling

The study examines a slew of curricula: top-selling U.S. textbooks; lessons developed by the U.S. State Department; and 9/11 curriculum developed by major nonprofit organizations.

Some discoveries were startling.

Most curricula didn't go into much detail about 9/11, even though it was mentioned many times.

"For example, only four of the nine texts mentioned how many were killed in the attacks or who was responsible for them," according to the study.

Further, none of the plans challenged students to critically analyze the roots of the attack.

Surprisingly, though, most materials embraced similar political perspectives. "We thought we'd find wide-ranging ideologies in this curriculum, like really left and really right," says co-author Jeremy Stoddard, an assistant professor of education at the College of William and Mary. "But the curriculum was really closer to the middle."

An impact on class lessons

Still, the heated national debates over the country's actions in the event's aftermath continue to impact what kids learn.

"In some school districts, there's a lot of pressure not to talk about Iraq," says Hess. Others encourage the kind of discussions "we see happening outside school."

Amid the controversy, at places such as Eaglecrest High School in Centennial, teachers including Angela Boatright toil away.

"In my AP World History class, we're preparing them for the college level test, and that (9/11) material is not on the test, so it's something we need to discuss (while teaching) other relevant events in U.S. history," she says. "I want to teach what's our identity, how we respond to foreign influence and what we do about terrorism. Students feel very close to it and feel very strongly about it."

Some metro events commemorating the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks

7 a.m. - Reveille Ceremony to mark 9/11 at the Air Force Academy, north of Colorado Springs. Normally, reveille occurs around dawn, when a small detail of cadets raises the U.S. flag. But this morning, the entire cadet wing will turn out for reveille before beginning their day.

Aurora Public Schools celebrates the lives of the everyday heroes who protect them and remember those who lost their lives. The Daughters of the American Revolution is joining the tribute to the Aurora Fire Department and the Aurora Police Department, and each ceremony will include a flag presentation, the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem.

9 a.m. - Century Elementary School, 2500 S. Granby Way

10 a.m. - Vassar Elementary School, 18101 E. Vassar Place

11 a.m. - Jewell Elementary School, 14601 E. Jewell Avenue

6 p.m. - 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Broomfield at the outdoor amphitheater adjacent to the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. The event will include remarks from a 9/11 rescuer, a bugler and a procession led by Centennial Pipe and Drum.

7 p.m. - A 9/11 Commemoration at the Aurora Police Memorial, adjacent to the Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway. The event is free, and the public is invited to attend. Several speakers are scheduled, and there will be musical performances by the Rocky Mountain Ringers and David Unkrich on French horn.

An exhibit, "September 11, 2001: The First 24 Hours," was assembled by the New York State Museum especially for the Aurora History Museum. It documents the tragic events of the day and features artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center site. The exhibit will be open after the ceremony until 8:30 p.m.

One-day event to run slide down University HillIt's not quite the alternative mode of transportation that Boulder's used to, but, for one day this summer, residents will be able to traverse several city blocks atop inflatable tubes.